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This is really a serious big **maybe** , but a friend of mine's son had to help remove a 200 gallon FW tank over the weekend and they took it someone's home that didn't really want it. I ***might*** have a chance to get it for riduculously cheap.

I don't really want to think about it since it's still a BIG if, but, somehow, I can't stop thinking what I would put in it.

So, if you had a 200 gallon FW tank, what would you stock it with? What furniture would you put? How many of your said stock list would fit in there? Whant kind of monster equipment (filter, heater, etc.) would be needed? I've never dreamed of a tank this large, so my imagination fails me at this point. I tend to lean toward a really colorful Malawi set-up, but thought I would see what the peeps at FP have to say.

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

Too many options. Wow, I might give saltwater my first shot with a tank that size. Or I would try discus. Or a very large school or rummynose, several german blue rams, and several apistos of your choice, well planted, and marbled hatchetfish.

Make the person an offer on the tank. Good luck.

Malawis would be colorful and active, and likely to spawn. Also a colony of Frontosas would be very nice.

On the technical side, Just get on an aquarium supply site and see what you would like to use.

That is awesome Melissa!

If I had a 200g, I'd probably move my Malawians over to it or setup a planted Discus, huge Rummynose and Cardinal school, plus more tank or a Lake Tanganyikan setup. There are just so many options with a tank this big.

I'm not one to go for the overly large fish, so anything I did with a tank this big wouldn't only involve smallish fish (the biggest being Discus, Angels, or Malawians).

I can't imagine what it would cost to light that big of a tank for planting.

Here is some ideas:
planted Discus tank
gorgeous planted
Malawi
Malawi again
Malawi biotope
(alot bigger than 200g, but I like the rock arrangement)
Lake Tang biotope
And one to grow on.
200g Discus tank

(And yes I am obviously bored at work...been drooling at the thought of a 200g tank though)

*Kristin*

With a tank that size I would try to keep it as simple as possible for maintenance and upkeep. Remember that special needs fish can be a problem to keep up with on a much smaller scale, so keep that in consideration when making your choices.

I think I would lean toward larger type species as they make a much more dramatic display in a larger tank such as this, such as large SA cichlids. It would make for a great discus tank, but that may not be an option you want to pursue unless you have the time to make the several times a week water changes that is mostly recommended when keeping them. Your choices really are extensive when it comes to this large of aquaria.

Jim

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Water, taken in moderation, cannot hurt anybody. -- Mark Twain

WOW!!! Thanks for those liks Kristen. After seeing those African tanks I think that's what I'm going to go with.

Yes, I would love to do a huge, planted discus, 1000 tetra tank, but the palnts and lighting and CO2 would be cost & time prohibitive. I have the PERFECT water params for Africans and I could load up with rocks fairly cheaply.

The colors available in the Rift Lake cichlids never ceases to amaze me.

I gotta call my friend and find out what the deal is....now I'm slobbering.

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

I must be weird, cause I wouldn't want a 200 gal. tank! I might go as high as 100 but that would be it. Things I would consider a hindrance with a 200 gal.

floor strength
room for it
weight, if it had to be moved
lots of money for the "Necessities" that go with it
the pain & time involved with cleaning & water changes

But if you're up for all that, then I wish you the best of luck!

floor strength

Home is built on concrete foundation....plenty of floor strength there

room for it

I have a whole house to just me and my son. I've got a 3 bedroom and pretty much a free wall in the living room...no issue there

weight, if it had to be moved

Not planning on going anywhere anytime soon, and I detest rearranging rooms in my home.

lots of money for the "Necessities" that go with it

It probably comes with most of it...it was already set-up, the guy just couldn't take care of it with health issues. Fish will cost, but I can go slow on that.

the pain & time involved with cleaning & water changes

shouldn't be too bad with a Python. just takes patience.

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

Something very low maintenance cause water changes and gravel vacs on a 200g would be a nightmare. I decided unless I'm given a free tank my limit is 90g just because of the logistics of doing basic maintenance like water changes. I suppose for people who can run a python it's a little better. For that reason I'd avoid a heavily planted tank. Maybe some slow growing low light plants like anubias, java fern, and mosses. A breeding pair of some cichlid species would be interesting. Although you'd want to fill the tank with plenty of rocks and caves which will cost a fair amount for the rock($1.50-2?lb here) and then add another 100-200lbs to the weight of your tank. Better be good floors after that.

If I had a tank that large, I would definitely go for large, oddball fish. If you're into that kind of stuff, here's what i'd go with.

1.) a few Black Ghost Knife Fish, or 1 clown knife fish (still might be a tank buster with a 200g)
2.) Arrowana, expensive fish, but a very interesting one.
3.) Pirahnas, Barracudas
4.) or, like someone else said, some big SA cichlids.

an arowana will outgrow a 200 gallon tank, they grow to be in excess of 3 ft. long, a tank should always be at least 6 times the length of the fish being kept in it. meaning that to appropriately keep an arowana you would need a tank of at least 18 feet in length, they really aren't a practical fish for the home aquarium, unless you can devote a small room to one.

I fully support the idea of a big african tank, they are great fish, and hardy as heck, not to mention fairly cheap to maintain.

proud father of a bunch of baby haps. http://picasaweb.google.com/Sktchy/BABIES

You could go with a true rainbow fish tank. Get the full spectrum of the various species and have the true rainbow effect that the fish are named after.

Hi,
If I were you, I would devote the tank to African Rift
Fish. AND... I'd devote the second one (plan ahead! )
To South American fish with tons of plants and schools
of tetras.

Frank


-->>> The Confidence of Amateurs, is the Envy of Professionals <<<--

go the sa/ca cichlids,and it that tank(i have a 200gal)they will get huge,ive got 2 jds in my 200gal,but im moving my fh to it,and the jacks back to the 75gal,with that sized tank your options are pretty much endless

tank full of pirahna. i know thats what i'm going to do years down the road with my 150g

Fish tanks are an expensive addiction

If i had a spare 200 gallon i might get a large doradid or something like a megalodorus. Failing that do the reverse and stock it with really tiny fish and turn it into a huge water garden with dozens of species of tiny plants and have mosses on every available surface and keep it beautiful and low maintenance on the water changes.. Plenty of ottos and shrips and small shoals. Really work on the internal space of the tank and treat it like a sculptural exercise. Crystal water and lots of glowing and contrasting greens ,and some really cool shaped bigwood and roots. ...mmmm yummy.

200 gallons?

Hmm .... * strokes beard *

Underwater jungle with 100 Panda Corys, 80 Cardinals, 80 Lemon Tetras, 20 Otocinclus, 8 Apistogramma panduro and possibly 24 Inpaichthys kerri just for something completely different. Possibly 20 Marble Hatchets at the top. Lots of intricate pieces of bogwood covered in Java Moss for that authentic "underwater jungle" look.


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002

Oscars and a big plec /:'

~~~~~~~~~~~~
There is water at the bottom of the ocean

A tank that size, I would go with large central/south American cichlids. This guy has some gorgeous fish and I've heard nothing but good things about him.
http://www.tangledupincichlids.com/index.html

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I used to be Snow White, but I drifted.
~ Mae West

Wow, great suggestions all!!! I might still be getting it down the road. The guy that has it has decided to keep it **for now**, but he's keeping it in a trailer home.

I don't know about y'all, but the last time I checked, trailer homes were not built to hold that kind of weight. How long do you think it will be before the floor starts to give?

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~~Melissa~~
"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder."

You wouldn't be praying that it might happen anytime soon, would you?